Posted by: patbirder
on Jun 15, 2009
Located on the northeastern shore of the Hudson Bay, although the Inuit town of Akulivik, Quebec was officially named in 1976, Inuit peoples have lived in the area for thousands of years. Located on a promontory shaped liked the three-pronged spear used by the Inuit for fishing, the sheltered waters and surrounding lands also provided excellent hunting. This may explain why detailed hunting scenes and situations are so prevalent among sculptures done by the artists from Akulivik. Detailed representations of wildlife (including depictions of bears hunting seals) typically carved from soapstone or serpentine are also common subjects, and reflect the major influence that hunting has had upon artwork from Akulivik. In addition to hunting themes, carvings from this region also frequently depict characters from local lore and legend.
Similar themes are also represented in pieces done by artists from Puvirnituq, another Inuit town in the same region. Since most of the families that founded Akulivik have also lived in Puvirtinuq, there are strong similarities in the artwork from these two communities. Peter Boy Itukalla and Daviadaluk Alasua Amittu are just two of several artists from this region that have sculpted beautiful pieces representing their traditional way of life.
Links
Peter Boy Itukalla and Daviadaluk Alasua Amittu
Northern / Arctic Travel Blog 
